THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR THE POST OF DEPUTY MINISTER IN CABINET ONE STEP FORWARD ONE STEP BACKWARD

The president has not been appointing a Minister of Agriculture as he pursues vision 2016 which should culminate with the end to rice importation.

The Ministers should be assisted by Permanent Secretaries who are technical advisers. In the budget there are two posts for Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Permanent Secretaries. There is no post for Deputy Minister. It is strange that Mr.OusmanJammeh was appointed to occupy a post of Deputy Minister which does not exist in law or in the budget.

Section 73 of the Constitution has explained who the members of the Cabinet are. It reads:

“There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice-President and the Secretaries of State.”

Only members of Cabinet and the National Assembly could introduce motions at the National Assembly.

The President should therefore scrap the post of deputy minister for good.